PLAN FOR £30M BOOST TO EDUCATION IN SHEFFIELD WELCOMED

12.00.00am GMT Wed 11th Feb 2009

Schools in Sheffield would be in line to receive £30m in additional funding under a new Liberal Democrat national proposal. Sheffield would be amongst the top fifteen local authorities in the country to receive 'top-up' payments for disadvantaged pupils under the Lib Dem's major new plans to boost investment in education. Local Lib Dems have welcomed the plan.

The Lib Dems are proposing a system to boost funding for disadvantaged pupils in state schools to bring them in line with schools in the private sector. Lib Dems also announced plans to reduce the size of infant classes in state schools to those of private schools.

The funding will be known as a 'Pupil Premium', and will be given as a cash bonus to schools to increase the funding per pupil in state schools. The premium would be awarded to schools based on the number of pupils who are entitled to free school meals, pupils with special educational needs, pupils in the care of the local authority and pupils with English as a second language.

These measures are part of a policy which aims to raise the achievement of children from poorer backgrounds and give all young people the opportunity of a high quality education.

Cllr Andrew Sangar, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Lifelong Learning said:

"This Lib Dem proposal would provide a huge boost for education in Sheffield and help us address the shocking achievement gap the present Labour Government have failed to tackle. What's more, this policy focuses on pupils not postcodes, which is essential if we are to tackle the current gap in performance between the highest and lowest achievers.

"Our new national policy reflects what we are trying to achieve at a local level. We want all young people in Sheffield to have the opportunity to achieve their full potential, regardless of where they live or which school they go to."

"This just goes to show that, both locally and nationally, the Liberal Democrats are committed to improving education for all our young people."